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Thursday, June 17, 2010

In The Weeds

By Paula Matter

Have you seen the Web site Rate My Space? DIYers upload photos of renovated rooms, home projects, gardens. Others then rate the work and may or may not leave comments.

I’ve been prowling the site looking for ideas since my husband and I started working on our landscape. And by working I mean yanking, pulling, digging up the weeds that have taken over. And by landscape, I mean our crappy yard.

This year I was more than ever determined to get rid of the weeds once and for all. So sayeth the person who hates yard work. I hate dirt; I hate sweat; I hate bugs. But most of all I hate weeds.

I tackled the job with gusto. Fortunately, there were some areas in better shape than others and I started them right away. Instant gratification, more or less.

Here are some photos where weeds were pulled, bushes were trimmed, flowers potted/planted, and mulch was added. Still more work to be done, but already an improvement...

Before & After

As you can see most of this is a work in progress. While the landscape's better, there's lots more to do.

Much like the manuscript I'm working on. When I started it oh, so long ago, it was a mess.

With time, lots of hard work, and the right tools, it's less messy. Right tools include critique partners (thanks, Annette!), conferences, classes, professional help (thanks, Kristen!), reading other blogs. There is so much help out there.

What big project are you currently working on? Is there something you've recently finished, accomplished?

8 comments:

Before the weeds come back, get some Preen and sprinkle it all over your beds. Then at least 3-4 inches of mulch. It will help keep the weeds at bay. I'm not real fond of weeding either, and this really helps.

Our yard and house have been works in progress for 29 years. I don't think we'll ever be finished. Just when we think we've remodeled every room, it's time to start over.

Looks good, Paula. I have the opposite problem - I don't hate bugs, weeds, etc. When the weeds come up all full of exuberant vitality, the joy of life, I hate to see them killed or injured. Same goes for bugs - they seem more like uninvited pets than enemies, so I'm inclined to let them live. Needless to say, my yard is a wildflower garden which, I know, is a euphemism for a patch of weeds. Still, when my neighbors' flat neat grass looks like half-dead brown patches, my yard is healthy and alive. What is it that makes people want every inch of the world look as if it's under human control?

Very nice. I tend to leave our yardwork to the husband, who actually enjoys digging in the dirt. He delegates the weeding to the kids, who hate it, but that's part of growing up, right?

As for me, my only big project at the moment is DIY-5, which is due in New York on September 1. I'm at 38,000 words at the moment. I need 90,000. And whereas I realize that doesn't seem like a big deal, I have to write those 50,000 words while the kids are home from school for the summer, while I'm promoting A Cutthroat Business (which was released this week) and while I go on vacation with the family to Florida for a week. It doesn't leave much time for getting into the writing zone. So I'm gonna go now, and try to write...